Lake Wales Commission Wants More Cemetery Room

Friday

Feb 8, 2013 at 6:39 AM

City commissioners agree that they not only want the city to still run a cemetery, they want to expand it. The Lake Wales City Commission asked Public Works Director Tom Moran on Tuesday to come back with a proposed layout for 20 acres of a 50-acre tract that the city owns on Hunt Brothers Road.

By PHIL ATTINGERNews Chief

LAKE WALES | City commissioners agree that they not only want the city to still run a cemetery, they want to expand it.

The Lake Wales City Commission asked Public Works Director Tom Moran on Tuesday to come back with a proposed layout for 20 acres of a 50-acre tract that the city owns on Hunt Brothers Road.

The city bought the land in January 2007 for $1.47 million. It's still being leased to grow citrus. Five acres has been set aside for city water and wastewater tanks.

It would take more than $43,000 to get the full 45 acres "shovel ready," said City Manager Terry Leary, apologizing for her choice of words.

However, Finance Director Dorothy Ecklund said getting 20 acres ready should only cost about $30,000 to plat.

Moran said he would have to call Billy Allen, the citrus grower who leases the land, at least six months in advance before developing the grounds.

Commissioners asked him to look at platting the entire parcel so that it will be easier to develop new phases of a cemetery, as needed.

If the city develops all 45 acres, it would cost $126,570 a year for employees, grounds-keeping equipment, fuel, electricity, water, septic service and irrigation, according to Theresa Allen, the city's public services administrator.

Leary said she can't track any years in the last 13 that the Lake Wales Cemetery on U.S. 27 has made money.

It has been open since 1938 and its 20 acres is almost full with 11,561 burial sites and a mausoleum, Allen said. The city's 10-acre Willow Lawn Cemetery at Washington Avenue and Coral Shores Drive has 800 graves and is already full.

Allen told the City Commission last May that the current cemetery can handle, at most, another five years of funerals.

Out of each sale price, 25 percent goes to the city's cemetery trust fund, to help pay for maintenance.

Early in Tuesday's workshop, commissioners discussed whether the city should keep a cemetery, sell the existing cemetery on U.S. 27 to a private entity or have a lease agreement with a private company for the undeveloped land.

But City Attorney Albert "Chuck" Galloway said Florida law won't allow a city to be a joint owner in any commercial entity.

Commissioner Christopher Lutton said, if the city were to sell the cemetery to a private company, city commissioners would not be able to set prices or have any influence if city residents aren't happy with the service.

He also said a private company might raise prices. Right now, in-city residents get a cheaper rate.

Selling or failing to expand are not options for City Commissioner Terrye Howell, who said a private company might raise fees that could prevent some residents from being buried in their hometown.

"An idea that I'm buried anywhere other than Lake Wales doesn't seem right to me," she said.

Mayor Mike Carter said he wanted to see some successful business models from other cities, to see if there is a way to make the cemetery at least break even.

Barret Nelson of Marion Nelson Funeral Home said the city might consider having a parks director who could arrange fundraisers to help support cemetery operations.

Lawrence Epps, of Epps Memorial Funeral Home, also suggested having different sections in the cemetery for different types of burials, such vaults for cremations.

Phil Attinger covers the Babson Park, Dundee, Frostproof and Lake Wales areas and may be reached at 863-401-6981 or phil.attinger@newschief.com.

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